One by One
by Amy6
Summary: How James became the heir of Gryffindor.


"James Potter, please pay attention

"James Potter, please pay attention!" Professor McGonagoll shouted, her tall, pointed hat askew. The entire class jumped, apart from James, who was expecting an outburst.

"Yes Miss." He said innocently, catching Lily's eye and grinning.

"Really, I would expect more from this class of 5th years." Professor McGonagoll scolded, before turning back to the board, tapping it with her wand and insisting they copied it down. There was the usual scramble for quills and parchment before the class settled into silent writing.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK 

"Come in." Professor McGonagoll said curtly. The face of Professor Albus Dumbledore appeared. 

"Could I speak to James Potter please?" he asked seriously. His face showed no twinkle, no smile. In fact, he looked a little sad and distraught. Lily frowned. This was so unlike him. James picked up his bag and followed Dumbledore from the classroom, waving cheerfully to Sirius, glad to be leaving the lesson early. Little did he know what had happened.

James emerged form Dumbledore's office half an hour later. He looked upset, his eyes red. He walked slowly towards the Gryffindor common room, mumbling the password to the Fat Lady (Giant Squid) and heading straight to his dormitory, where he lay on his bed, tears falling down his face, splashing onto his pillow.

They didn't see James for the rest of the day.

"That's odd. James would have come back." Remus said at dinner, prodding his jacket potato.

"Do you think Dumbledore told him bad news?" Lily asked them, looking worried.

"I dunno." Sirius said, taking a deep sip of pumpkin juice.

"Do you think we should find him?" Emily, Lily's best friend suggested. 

"I'll go." Lily said, standing up and hurrying towards the common room.

The common room was almost deserted, what with everyone being at dinner. A few first years were sitting in the corner, playing Spin the Bottle. Lily walked past them and slipped up the stairs, which led towards the boy's dormitories. She climbed for two floors before she came to the 5th year dormitories. She knocked on the door. No reply. She pushed opened the door. It creaked, someone was disturbed by it and called out 

"Who's there?"

"James?" Lily asked, rushing over to his bed, pulling back the curtain. James was now sitting on his bed, looking at a photo album, tears streaming down his face. He looked up at her.

"They're dead." He cried.

"Who?"

"My parents. Dead. Killed." James dissolved into more tears. 

"Oh."

Lily sat down beside him and hugged him tightly. He held onto her as if he would never let go. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Lily noticed her shoulder was very wet and let go.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"Voldemort came to our house and…and…the house was destroyed. The dark mark was hanging over it Lily, the dark mark!" James wept. He blew his nose. Lily picked up the photo album. A picture of James, his brother and his parents waved happily at them. Lily had met James' parents once, at platform 9 ¾. From what she knew, they were very prominent in the wizarding world, very rich too, but always donating to various causes. James looked a lot like his father, tall, with dark hair, but with his mother's bright blue eyes. His father also had glasses. But what did Voldemort want with Harry and Frances Potter? 

Lily shook her head.

"What about your brother?" she asked. James had an older brother, Robert, who was 25, married, with a 2-year-old daughter.

"I don't know." James said. "He didn't live at home, so he shouldn't have got caught up in it. Do you think he knows?"

"Dumbledore would have told him." Lily assured him, although not entirely sure herself. She took his hand.

"Look, whatever happens, you've always got me. If you need me, I'll come running." She told him, looking him straight in the face, smiling. He smiled back.

"Thanks." He said hoarsely. He wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in another hug.

The dormitory door creaked open and Sirius padded in. He took one look at Lily holding James and raised an eyebrow. Lily glared at his for even thinking that. He walked over to James.

"James, buddy are you OK?" he asked. James let go of Lily and looked at his best friend.

"Voldemort just killed my parents." He told him. Sirius looked shocked.

"No." he whispered. 

"Yes." James said, a hint of rage in his voice. " And I'll never forgive him." Lily squeezed his hand.

"Don't talk like that." She said, brushing the hair out of her eyes. He looked at her gratefully. The three sat in silence for a minute. Then Sirius left the room, leaving Lily and James alone. James walked over to the small bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. Lily looked through the rest of the photo album. It began with James' parents holding a baby with a tuft of black hair, to holidays by the sea, until pictures of James and his friends at school. Lily saw herself waving with the rest, smiling and joking. She reached the back, which had a pocket. Inside was an envelope with the word James written on in a neat script.

"James." She called. "You have a note."

James came over and took the envelope. He turned it over and read an instruction.

'Open only when your we are gone.'

He tore it open, recognising the writing as his fathers. A sheet of parchment fell out. It was a letter.

__

Dear James,

If you are reading this, then your mother and me have passed away. James, you are the rightful heir of Gryffindor. If you ever have children, they will be the heirs too. I know this will sound hard now, but I hope you understand.

I want you to know your mother and I love you more than anything, and we are always there for you.

Love you forever,

Mum and Dad xxx

James dropped the letter in shock. It fluttered lightly to the ground. Lily picked it up, read it quickly and gasped in shock.

"You're the heir of Gryffindor?" she asked in a whisper.

"Obviously." James replied. There was another silence. Lily looked at James. He looked overwhelmed, shocked.

"I had no idea." He whispered looking at her with a face she had never seen him wear before. One of panic, fear and loneliness "What does this mean? Am I a prodigal son? Do I have to defeat someone; do I have to die? What if I mess up?" 

James rushed over to Lily and grabbed her arms. He looked panicked and very much like a 5-year-old boy.

"You won't mess up." She assured him. "Now, I think we should go to Dumbledore. He would know more about this than I would." 

Lily led James downstairs, holding his hand all the way. They acquired some strange looks from some 3rd years but Lily pulled him through the portrait, the letter clenched tightly in her hand. They headed for Dumbledore's office. As they approached it, the two stone gargoyles jumped aside and Professor Dumbledore walked through the entrance. Upon seeing Lily and James he smiled sadly.  
"What can I do for you Miss Evans and Mr Potter?" he asked politely. Lily thrust the letter into his hand. He read it quickly. However, there was no surprise on his face, merely a sad expression.

"I knew this would come." He said sadly. "You better come with me."

Lily and James followed him up the winding staircase that lead towards Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore pushed open the door to his office and lead them in. It was a pleasant, round room, with a variety of interesting objects on its shelves. Dumbledore however, gave them two seats and took his seat at his desk. He gave them a penetrating glance. They looked at him in silence for a moment before Dumbledore began his tale.

"I always knew his would come. There was nothing we could do to prevent it. The four heirs of Gryffindor would battle until only one was left. That one would then acquire the castle of Hogwarts as some sort of prize. There are four heirs, one for each house, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin. He is the last one, and therefore, he feels that he most destroy the other heirs, to make the castle and it's powers his own. Hufflepuff's heir is a man called James Prewitt. He has two sons, so Hufflepuff is relatively insured. Ravenclaw has Eliza Little, a young woman who works for the ministry. I believe she is with a partner and she is expecting their first child. Gryffindors heir was your father. When he died, the trust would be placed on you and your brother Robert. You must not let Voldemort succeed, or he is likely to take the castle for himself and not use it for a school."

He paused and looked at their dumbfounded expressions.

"Voldemort wants to…kill me?" James asked.

"Yes James, I'm afraid he does." Dumbledore told him, his face looking weary. "But we will do everything in our power so that will not happen."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Over the next few years, chaos ripped through the magical community. A year later, Robert Potter, his wife and daughter were killed by Voldemort. James Prewitt's family was also found all dead within two weeks. Eliza Little and her baby son were killed 2 years later, the dark mark hanging over their home. All that was left was James and Voldemort.

James, as we know, married Lily soon after graduating from Hogwarts. They had a son, Harry, who survived Voldemort's attack on the Potter's when he was 1 years old. James and Lily were killed, but Harry lived on, hidden from Voldemort, whom most people thought destroyed, with Lily's muggle sister. He then went to Hogwarts, where he is still a student, unaware of the battle that has been raging for so long. One day, there will come a confrontation, where the two remaining heirs of the Hogwarts four will try to destroy the others intentions. One with the power of good on his side, one with the power of evil.


End file.
